8/22/16

We have the pleasure of putting the debut novel from Katherine Bogle into the spotlight on the blog today! I love young adult fantasy novels--and, it is always a joy to discover new authors! We have an extra treat today; as Katherine Bogle also shares a guest post with her tips for creating your own fantasy world as a fiction writer! Enjoy her insights--and be sure to enter to win a prize in the book spotlight giveaway at the end of this post!

Creating your Own Fantasy WorldGuest Post by Katherine Bogle

From the sprawling worlds of Middle Earth and Westeros,
to the quaint regions of the Dells in Fire,
fantasy worlds are complex, typically beautiful, and damn hard to make. When
creating a fantasy world, there are endless possibilities to consider. From
politics, to land mass, and climate, each world is unique, and has a lot of aspects you may have yet to think
of – and don’t get me started on creating a map
for the world.

As we have history on Earth, so should your fantasy
world. Though you may not know it yet, your characters know who created their
kingdom, or who assembled the realms again whatever bad guy they faced. Your
characters know what a typical meal looks like for upper, and lower class
families. They know if magic is forbidden or relished. They know the wilds, the
country, and who the first Emperor was. They know all of these because they were
born knowing, and yes, they should
know if these things ever come up in a novel.

They
know, but if you want a fantastic fantasy world, you have a lot of decisions to
make. What does the land look like? Are there cities? Oceans? Volcanoes? Is the
earth covered in sand, or water? Is there a monarchy, a democracy or a
republic? Do they have a well-known magic system? What do the people look like?
Does one country hate another? Why? These are only a few of the questions
you’ll have to ask yourself, and believe me, it is a ton of work, but it is so worth it.

Quick Summary of Haven (Chronicles of Warshard #1). Princess Haven was never meant to be Queen. Her immortality has saved her time and time again, but when the last of her royal family dies at her feet, she is next in line to rule a nation on the brink of war. With no formal training on how to be Queen, Haven must rise to the occasion with the help of her best friends, and personal guard, or risk losing everyone she has ever loved.

With war to the West, and no escape to the East, the evil tyrant Kadia sets her sights on the six kingdoms. Haven's neighbors are quick to fall under the swords of Kadia's shadow soldiers, leaving a sea of bodies and a clear path to Haven's only home. Haven must make a choice; take her people and flee to the foreign Republic across the sea or lead a last stand against a powerful dictator.

Katherine Bogle's debut young adult novel, Haven, came second in the World's Best Story contest 2015. She currently resides in Saint John, New Brunswick with her partner in crime, and plethora of cats.